AN OFFICIAL from the Association of Differently Abled Persons (ADAP) called out the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to strictly implement the Accessibility Law in the city.
This was after discovering the absence of cut-out curbs and dropped curbs in some parts of the city’s coastal road.
“It is very painful on our part that despite how many years of struggle, of promoting the accessibility law, our government is not very sensitive to our needs,” ADAP vice president Armando Amancio said on Thursday during Walk the Talk: A Presentation on the Results of the Citizen Walkability Assessment.
He requested the office to avoid the same mistakes in the next phase of the coastal road in Matina Times Beach to R. Castillo. “Di mi gusto nga mo-apela na sad mi nga dapat butangan,” he said.
He also pushed that an Accessibility Audit and Monitoring Team should be created under the City Engineers Office to ensure each infrastructure complies with the law. The team should include a member of their group to provide valuable insight.
He said the issue has been brought up to the Commission on Human Rights.
Jowelle Aloba, DPWH XI District Engineering Office aide, was also present at the event but declined to comment without the authority of her superiors.
Enp. Ivan Cortez, City Planning and Development Office chief, recalled that the project complied with the law when the blueprint was presented.
However, he said, the implementation did not comply with the specifications in the drawing. He added the problem might be the lapses during the project inspection.
“Let us always be reminded that DPWH is the implementing agency of BP 344, so it’s a basic standard for all the projects of DPWH should always be compliant to the standards,” he stressed saying he would also relay the message to the department.
Accessibility Law or Batas Pambasa 344 requires certain buildings, establishments, and other public utilities to install facilities or devices to enhance the mobility of PWDs.
